Headlight.



Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

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HEADLIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, 1907.

"P. BUCHANAN. HEADLIGHT.

APPLIUATION FILED FEB. 26, 1907.

1,034,686. Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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HEADLIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.26,1907,

1,03 .4',686-.- Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

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W 75555 I v5 0' %il? K a: W W- v FRANK BUCHANAN, 0F DAYTON, OHIO.

HEADLIGHT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Augmfi, 1912.

Application'filed February 26, 1907. Serial No. 359,476.

To all whom it may concern: I 7 Be it known that I, FRANK BUCHANAN,

of Dayton, Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Headlights, of 5 which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in head lights which are adapted to be hung or supported upon the front ends of electrically propelled cars and is particularly adapted for cars of suburban electric railways which require the use of electric lights of varying degrees of intensity. For example, in some instances an arc lamp is used with a suitable reflector as the head light of cars while traveling through thinly populated orrural districts, which light is usually subdued by the use of what is commonly known as a dimmer while the car is traveling through cities or densely populated localities, While in'other instances an incandescent lamp is used in conjunction with an arc lamp and arranged so that the lighting current may be thrown into either lamp separately and in my present inven- I have shown a combination of an arc lamp with an-incandescent electric lamp and also a dimmer which latter is adapted to be thrown into and out of position in front of both lamps or across the open end of the reflector. These lamps are usually inclosed within a suitable casing preferably circular in general outline and provided with means by which it may be hung upon or fastened to the dash of a car and it, therefore, becomes necessary to provide means whereby easy access may be had to the lamps and their supports as well as other mechanisms and adjuncts connected therewith and for this purpose, practically all of'the mocha nisms aside from the inclosing case are mounted upon a support adapted to be readily removed from. and reinserted into the casing. v H r The head light, therefore, comprises the casing, lamps, dimmer and all their appurtenanceslinclosed within or mounted upon the case "for producing ahead light capable meeting the essential requirements of such a device as used in electric railway tralfic. I 7

The essential objects of my present invention are to increase the general efliciency of 5 head lights as used on the cars of interurban electric railway systems without renderingthe apparatus excessively complicated or cumbersome and at the same time to assemble the various parts so that accessmay be easily had to any particular mechanism for repairs or adjustment. 7

For example, one of the specific objects is to provide means for steadying the act-ion of the. carbon feeding mechanism as produced by the energizing of the solenoid when the arc lamp is thrown into circuit so as to prevent the chattering of the uppercarbon When the solenoid is energized.

Another specific object is to mount the carbons of the arc lamp together with their feeding mechanisms and solenoid upon a rocking support, which is capable of adjustment to throw all such parts to the desired position relatively to the case or supporting frame upon which the rocking support is mounted.

Another specific object is to mount the solenoid upon the supporting frame which carries the carbons so as to malnta'in a fixed relation between such parts and thereby pre-' vent loosening of the electrical connections between the winding in the solenoid and the carbons to which it is connected and also maintain proper bons and feeding mechanisms as controlled by the plunger of the solenoid.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the head light will be brought out 1n the following description.

In the drawings,-Figure l isa transverse vertical sectional View through the casing and door showing the interior mechanism in full except that the reflector and piston chamber of the solenoid core retarding element are shown in section. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation partly in sectionof the supporting frame for the solenoid and carbon holders showing also a resistance coil in the incandescent lamp circuit and the lower portion of the casing upon which the frame is mounted. Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are sectional views taken respectively on lines 3+3 and H, Fig. 1, and 5- 5, Fig. 2.. Figs. 6 and 7 are face views of fragmentary portions of the front of the door and casing showing particularly portions of thedimmer and its attachingelements. Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic View of a portion of a car lighting system showing the different connections between the current supply and lamps.

The'inclosing case comprises essentially, a cylindrical frame 1 of sheet metal or relation between the car-.

with a central stud --11- (Fig. 5) which sulated from the arm vertically by .21 which 19- in which is other suitable material open at one end and provided with a swinging closure -2- which may be retained in place by any suitable hinge connections, not necessary to herein illustrate or describe for the reason that these connections are well known in this class of instruments. The'back of the casing 1 is provided with an attaching element 3 near its upper side which is made in the form of a hook adapted to be suspended or supported upon a loopor equivalent device on the dash'as 5 of the car, the lower portion of the back of the casing being provided with an adjustable buffer 6-- also adapted. to rest againstthe dash 5 to hold the head light casing in a substantially vertical position.-

In the bottom of the casing is placed a pair of ways or guides -7- running parallel with each other from front to rear of the casing and spaced some distance apart for receiving and guiding a movable bed '-8 having an upright standard -9-,'

said base and standard constituting a supporting frame for many of the superposed parts and is removable along the ways 7- through the open side of the casing when the door is opened to" permit access to said parts for repairs or adjustment as will be presently described. Journaled upon the upper end of this upright standard -9- is an upright tilting section 10- provided is journaled in a split'bearing or hub 12- on the upper end of the standard -'9, said split hub being provided .with ing screw 13 whereby the hub may be tightened on the stud position. Rigidly secured to the upper end of the standard -9- is a laterally project-- ing arm -14- extending around the back of the tilting arm -10 and to this laterally projecting arm is secured a forwardly -1 5- for supporting a rebest seen in Fig. 5 so that the reflector is held in fixed relation to the standard/-9- while the arm 10- which carries the carbon holders and are lamp is adjustable or tiltable relatively to the reflector and standard -9.

The lower end of the rock arm -10' below the pivot 11- is provided with a forwardly projecting offset 17- to which is secured an extension -'1-8 which is in- -10-by insulation -18' and carries a tubular carbon holder movable the lower carbon --20- of the arc lamp, This lower carbon 20- is adapted to be adjusted means 0 is journaled in the extension -18 and is yieldingly pressed in engagement with the carbon 20 by a spring 22, the shaft on the friction wheel 21 being proprojecting post clined connect-ing brace a clamp- 11for holding the upright tilting frame 10 in its adjusted.

f a toothed wheel nose-sec vided with a hand piece 23 whereby it may be rotated to eflect the adjustment of the carbon, the latter being held in its adjusted position by a screw 24 as best seen in Fig. 1. In like manner the upper end of the rock arm 10 is provided with a forwardly projecting arm 25 having a tubular guide 26 for receiving and, guiding the upper carbon 27 of the arc lamp, said lateral extension 25 being insulated in any well known manner from the arm 10. The arms 10 and 25 are connected together by the in- 25 whichv is secured to each of the same as shown in Fig. 1.

The tubular carbon guides 19 and. 26 and also the carbons 20 and 27 are arranged in vertical alinement and the meeting ends of the carbons are inclosed in a suitable globe or transparent bulb 28 within the reflector 16, which latter is provided with suitable openings in its upper and lower sides for receiving the carbon supports.

Mounted upon the upper laterally-extending arm 25 is a cross bar 29 to which is secured an upright yoke 30. Within this yoke, and upon the cross-bar 29 is support ed a solenoid 31 having the lower end of its movable core 32 rigidly connected to a bar 33 by the rivet 3a which bar extends forwardly and rearwardly beyond its connection with the core so as tomove bodily therewith.

A feeding clutch 35 of porcelain or equivalent material, is pivote I end of the bar 33 and is provided with a transverseslot 37 for recelving the carbon 27, said slot being of substantially the same width as the diameter of the carbon sides may frictionally so that its opposite engage and feed said carbon upwardly as the core 32and bar 33 connected thereto are elevated by the energizing of the solenoid 31. This frictional feeding action of the clutch 35 upon the carbon 27 is facilitated by a spring 38 which is interposed between ,the front end of the clutch 35 and a suitable shoulder 39 on the tubular guide 26, and tends to depress the adjacent or front side of the clutch, while the solenoid at certain intervals elevates the opposite or rear side of the clutc In order to steady the action of the feeding clutch 35 and thereby prevent chattering or hammering of provide a comparatively light coil spring 40 which is supported upon a stud 41 on the bar 33, said spring having one end bearin against the adjacent side of the core 32 an its other end bearing \npon the clutch 35 at'the rear of the carbon, 27 so as to press downwardlyupon the clutch and prevent in a measure excessive vibration of chattering lrelatively to the core 32, said member 4L0 rendering thepivot 36 a substantially spring-hinged connection between (1 at 36 to the front the upper carbon, 1

the top face of a ing screw 45 on a support 46 which is se-' dash-pot, for the rear end of the bar 33 and comprising a piston 42 movable in a chamber 43 and having its lower end pivoted to the rear end of the bar 35, the upper end of said chamber 43 being closed to form an air cushion to retard the upward movement of the piston and bar connected thereto. The extreme rear end of the bar 33 is connected by a coil spring 44 to anadjustcured to theframe 30 and supports the chamber 43.

The pawl 35 normally rests upon a suitable supporting flange on the tubular guide 26, as shown in Fig. 1, and normally supports the adjacent .end of the bar 33, the opposite end of said bar being supported by the spring 44. The core 32 and piston 4 2 are, therefore, normally supported by the bar, the spring 44 being tensioned to substantially balance the weight of the adjacent end of the bar and parts carried thereby when the solenoid is de'einergized,

By rigidly securing the bar 33 to the movable core 32 of the solenoid, it is evident that said bar will be lifted bodily as the solenoid is energized, thereby lifting the side of the clutch 35 to which the bar is connected and effecting a similar lifting move ment of the upper carbon, and at the same time the piston 42 is similarly elevated in the chamber 43 but with a steady action permitted by the gradual leakage of air around the said piston thereby causing the core 32, bar 33 and adjacent side of the clutch 35 to be lifted steadily or gradually and preventing the usual chattering of theupper carbon and its feeding mechanism. The winding of this solenoid 31 is, of course, connected in the arc lamp circuit and is adapted to be operated by an alternating current generator A supplying current to the trolley wire -a, such current bein conveyed to the car through the usualtrolfiay pole 50 and wires 51and 52- which lead to the solenoid 31.

In order that the proper current voltage may be supplied to the arc lamp through the solenoid, I connect in the circuit a suitable permanent resistance or choke coil51, and a variable resistance device 52 both of which are located between the solenoid and source of supply but in practice I preferably 3 connect an auto-transformer 53 in the supply wire 5 and connect the variable resistance device 52 at any desired point in the auto-transformer which may give the desired current voltage.

An incandescent electric lamp 55 is electrically connected by a wire 57 to one of the points 58 of a two point switch which is in electrical connection with the wire 52 and is adapted to be thrown alternately into electrical connection with the arc lamp and incandescent lamp circuits, a suitable'resistance 59 being interposed in the connection between the incandescent lamp 55 and source of supply, said lamps and also the transformer 53 and alternating current generator A being grounded at -g. y

In additionvto the mechanisms previousl described, for preventing excessive chattering of the solenoid core and parts connected thereto, I provide a laminated armature 60 of soft iron which is secured to the member 29 in close proximity to the core 32 which when the solenoid is energized tends to attract the armature 60 thereby producing more or less friction in the action of the core to retard its impulsive act-ion.

The lower end of the rock arm 10 carrying the solenoid 31 and the carbon holders for the arc lamp is held between two adjustin screws 62, by ,Which the arm l0 and parts carried thereby may be adjusted and held in its adjusted position irrespective of the split hub 12.

Mounted upon the door 2 is a cylindrical reflector extension -64 of substantially the same diameter as the outer diameter of the hyperbolic reflector 16 and upon this cylindrical reflector is mounted the incandescent lamp 55, said door being provided with a cylindrical extension -66 inclosing the reflector extension -64 and adapted to receive a split dimmer supporting ring 67, said ring being clamped around the cylindrical door exten'sion, -'-66- by a clamping bolt 68- A circular screen 69 and its supporting frame 70 are pivoted at -71 to suitable brackets on the lower side of the ring 6'7- and is provided at its upper side with a keeper 72 adapted to be engaged by a spring detent -73 on the ring 67 whereby the dimmer and its supporting frame are held in front of the open end of the reflector and lamps and may be released at any time by releasing the catch 73 and rocked laterally and downwardly upon its pivot -i'1 so as to hang below the plane of the reflector when the full intensity of the light is required.

The operation and purposes of the several mechanisms involved in the construction of the head light have now been fully set forth, and although I have shown and described several auxiliary mechanisms for retarding the sudden or impulsive action of the solenoid plunger and parts connected thereto, it is evident that I may employ either one of these mechanisms separately without depart-ing from the spirit of this invention. 1 ,What I claim ist 1 A headlight comprising anelectrical' with a guide for the upper carbon of the lamp and a solenoid being mounted thereon, a bar rigidly secured to the core of the solenoid, a feed clutch for the upper carbon, said feed clutch pivotally-connected at its rear side to one end of said bar below its point of connection with the core, a coil spring carried by the bar andhaving one end bearing against the feed clutch and its other end against the solenoid core and said bar actuated by said solenoid when the latter is energizedf 2. A headlight comprising an electrical circuit including an arc lamp and a solenoid, having a movable core, a fixed arm, a sole noid mounted upon said arm, a bar rigidly connected to the core of the solenoid, a carbon feed clutch for the lamp, said feed clutch pivotally connected at its rear side to one end of said bar below its point of connection with the core, a spring carried by the bar and having one end bearing against the feed clutch and its other end. against the solenoid core, and said bar adapted to be actuated by said solenoid when the latter is energized, a dash pot plunger pivoted upon said bar, a dash pot receivingsaid plunger and fixed above said measles bar, and an adjustably secured balancing spring for the weight of the core and bar, and said balancing spring pivoted to the bar adjacent the free rear end thereof.

3. A headlight comprising an electrical circuit embodying an arc lamp and a solenoid having a movable core, a bar rigidly secured to the core of the solenoid, a feed clutch straddling the upper carbon of the lamp and pivotally connected to said bar, a

spring carried by said bar and having one end bearing against the upper face of the .clutch, and its other end against the solenoid core, said bar when actuated by said core adapted to feed the upper carbon vof the lamp, a retarding device for and pivotally connected to said bar, and abalancingelement for the weight of the core and the weight of the bar, and said balancing element fixed at one end and having its other end pivotally connected to the bar.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 22nd day ofFebruary 1907.

FRANK BUCHANAN.

Witnesses H. E. CHAsE, MILDRED M. NA'r'r. 

